This time last month, Celtic announced that two long-serving players would be leaving Parkhead on free transfers. But if the news of Tom Rogic’s departure was greeted with shock, the same certainly could not be said about Nir Bitton.
Rogic, after all, was arguably Celtic’s – nay Scotland’s – most naturally talented footballer. A masterful, mercurial attacking midfielder nicknamed the ‘Magic Man’ by former boss Brendan Rodgers. And last season, as Celtic stormed to the title under Rogic’s fellow Aussie Ange Postecoglou, the ‘Wizard of Oz’ pulled enough rabbits out of his hat to fill the cast list of Watership Down.
Bitton, meanwhile, was an important part of Postecoglou’s squad but not an integral one. He had his moments in 2021/22 but started just 11 Premiership games. What’s more, he was omitted from the first XI for all five of Celtic’s five Old Firm clashes.
Nonetheless, Bitton’s departure – coupled with Ismaila Soro’s expected exit – leaves Postecoglou short in the defensive midfield department. Callum McGregor, Ange’s first-choice number six, is more a dictator than a destroyer, while doubts persist about the fitness of Yosuke Ideguchi and James McCarthy.
Replacing Rogic will be an altogether more difficult task of course. Players of his lavish talent do not come easy to a club with Celtic’s resources. But there is a Bitton-shaped hole that must be filled, too, especially if Celtic are serious about improving a recently dismal European record.
Is Vinicous Souza a Nir Bitton upgrade for Celtic
So enter Vinicius Souza. He, like Bitton, is a towering presence, standing at over 6 foot. He’s certainly not afraid of getting stuck in either – a tally of 11 yellow cards for KV Mechelen in the Jupiler League last season is proof of that, as is the fact that he completed more tackles (3.7 per game) than anyone else in the division (WhoScored).
He also averages two interceptions per match, far greater numbers than the ones Bitton posted last term, albeit in a far fewer number of games.
Souza, who will reportedly hold talks with Celtic and is part-owned by the City Football Group that has such a close relationship with Postecoglou, passes the eye test too (Daily Mail). He not only looks like Bitton, size-wise anyway, he plays like him too.
A tackling machine
Those long, telescopic legs allow him to glide across the turf and snatch back possession, before turning defence into attack with line-piercing passes. He tends to keep things simple on the ball, but that won’t pose a problem at Glasgow with so many creators in the team. A powertool among paintbrushes. A reliable, tough-tackling energetic ‘number six’ – Souza is still just 22 – he could be the difference between another early European exit and a Rangers-esque run into the latter stages.
Souza’s terrific tackle rate will certainly help protect a defence that has a tendency to collapse on the European stage.
“Despite his young age, he did not shy away from responsibility. He was already someone with personality and maturity in his game,” says ex-team-mate Glenn Neven, via Voetbal Krant.
“In his early days he was the cause of a stupid goal against a few times, usually because he was playing football with too much confidence. He made up for that time and again with a hell of a game the following week. Vini is a huge athlete with good feet. He can also function as a central defender.”
“Vini is head and shoulders above the rest this season,” adds Mechelen assistant coach Steven Defour. “He breaks up an incredible amount of attacks. In addition, many of our attacks start through him.”
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